Holiday Cheer
by Iwait4theRain
Summary: We're back! Just another AU-tasic story brought to you by me and the fabulous childatheart94! It's Christmastime for Tony and Maria and their family! AU haters turn back now. Happy Holidays everyone!
1. Snowman

Chapter 1.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry, daddy! Hurry up!" Maribel jumped from the backseat of her father's car.

"Drive fast like Santa Clause, I wanna make a snowman!" Rose whined

"I'm going as fast as I can girls. Trust me, the snow will still be there when we get home." Tony laughed.

"I can see the house! C'mon daddy, we're almost there!" Maribel yelled.

Tony smiled to himself. Boy, did he sure get a kick out of his girls.

Rose and Maribel held their breath as Tony pulled up into the driveway. He barely even stopped the car when Maribel and Rose jumped out.

"SNOW!" Maribel jumped and twirled around and around until, very dizzily, she crashed to the ground.

"I'm dreaming of a white christmaaaaaaaaaaas!" Rose sang off-key.

Stood in the doorway and watched Maribel and Rose play happily in the snow.

"Oh you're freezing!" Maria exclaimed as Tony hugged her.

"Fine, honey and how was your day?" Tony asked sarcastically.

Maria rolled her eyes.

"Maribel! Lets make a snowman!" Rose gathered mounds of snow and started piling them together.

"No! You're doing it wrong!" Maribel exclaimed. "Here, let me show you." she started to gather a ball of snow in her hands but before she could set it on the ground, Rose had smashed it.

"That's dumb! My way is better!" Rose screamed.

"No it's not!" Maribel screamed back.

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it-" Rose was promptly cut off when a snowball hit her in the back. Maribel and Rose turned around slowly, mouths wide open, to find Tony nonchalantly whistling with his hands behind his back.

"Daddy! I'm gonna get you!" Rose screamed and started to make a snowball.

"MOMMY SHEILD!" Tony ran behind Maria before Rose could hit him.

"That's not fair!" Maribel called.

"You're right Maribel!" Maria said before she pushed Tony from behind her and ran inside.

"Whoa! Hold on! Now that's unfair!" Tony called after Maria.

"READY, AIM, FIRE!" Rose screamed.

"Uh, oh." Tony said before he was pelted with snowballs.

"And that's how its done." Maribel slapped Rose's hand in victory.


	2. Sugar and Spice

Hi everyone! So, just a few things here. First, this chapter was written by childatheart94! Yay! Okay. Second, in this chapter, Baby Gabriel is introduced. Gabriel is Tony and Maria's son and he is about eight months old in this story. I will be quiet now. Thank you all and enjoy!

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"No Gabriel! That's mine!"

Rose and her brother were spiritedly fighting over a tube of red frosting. Gabriel let out a high pitched scream as Rose tried to pry the frosting tube from his tiny fingers.

"Mommy! Gabriel took the frosting and won't give it back! Why are Maribel and Gabriel so mean to me?"

"Rose, he's a baby; I don't think he took it from you on purpose," Maria reassured Rose from across the table. She was currently wiping up a bowl of colored sugar that Maribel had tipped over.

"But I want it back!" Rose whined as Gabriel grabbed a handful of Rose's hair. Maribel giggled over the tray of cookies she was decorating, happy to see their brother was already on her side.

"OUCH! LET GO!"Rose's screams for help only amused Gabriel more and he began to yank even harder on his sister's hair. Maribel just sat back and laughed, waiting for the day she and Gabriel could pick on Rose together.

"Okay, that's enough. Let go of Rose," Maria said as she came up behind Gabriel and lifted him from his highchair. In his tiny fists were strands of Rose's hair.

"Mommy! Look at what he did!"

"Rose he's just a baby. He doesn't…" Gabriel then reached up to Maria and latched onto her hair. As Maria attempted to untangled his fingers, the phone began to ring.

"Maribel, can you get that?" Maribel hopped up from her chair, proud that she no longer needed a chair to reach the phone (although she did have to stand on her tip toes).

"Hello?"

"Maribel? My, you sound so grown up on the phone!"

"Hi Grandma! Do you wanna talk to Mommy?" Maria looked up from the table in alarm; she scrambled to find something to be "working" on so she didn't have to talk.

"Here she is!" Maribel exclaimed as she stretched the phone cord to her mother. Maria let out a long sigh before speaking.

"Hello, ho…"

"Maria, you know you really shouldn't let those girls answer the phone! A stranger could call and the girls could give out personal information."

"Well, I'm right here so I don't think that will be a problem. You know Tony isn't home right now; do you want us to call you later?"

"No! I want to talk to you."

"Great," Maria gazed out the window, knowing this conversation was going to last a while. Maria had only met Tony's mother a few times; and Tony wanted to keep it that way. Not because of Maria being different from him, but because of her…over-protective instincts.

"Oh, okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"Does Tony ever say why all of you don't come and see me more often? That baby isn't going to be a baby anymore by the time I see him!"

"You just saw him a few weeks ago; and in a few more weeks you'll see him again."

"But that's just it! I only ever see you on holidays! Does Tony want to make his mother crazy?"

"I'm sure he doesn't; I can talk to him tonight about this if you want me to." Gabriel looked up at Maria; it was then she swore never to be like Tony's mother.

"I used to be the one who Tony talked to; now he only talks you. I mean no offense Maria. You're a…Very lovely girl, Maria thought to herself. And then came the rest."…but a wife can never replace a mother's love. Do you think Tony knows that?"

"I'm sure he does. And I promise you, I will talk to him tonight."There was a laugh at the other end of the phone. Maria looked at Rose and Maribel as they squirted red and green frosting at each other.

"You'll talk with Tony tonight?"

"Yes, we will talk tonight."

"See? All this talking the two of you do is the reason I only have three grandchildren! In my day, a married couple…"

"Uh, look I have to go. I guess we'll see you in a few weeks. Good bye."

"Bye Maria. Oh, I sent a package in the mail. I hope you all enjoy it." The other end went silent and Maria hung the phone back up. She walked towards the table and smiled at the girls.

"Mommy what did Grandma want?" Rose asked as she licked green frosting from her fingers; she wiped the remaining frosting on her sister's arm.

"Girls, someday you will be married; then you'll understand what Grandma wanted." The girls nodded at Maria and continued with their cookie decorating. Gabriel began to fuss, prompting Maria to look down.

"Girls, I'm going to put your brother down for a nap; don't get anymore frosting or sugar on the table." Once Maria had gone upstairs, Maribel swiped the tube of frosting from Rose's hand.

"Hey! That's mine!""I'm older!"

"In case you don't know, I'm five now! That's a whole hand!"

"Yeah, well I'm seven; that's a whole hand and two fingers! Ha!" Rose looked around the table and picked up another tube of frosting and squirted it at Maribel.

"Ha!"

"Rose! What's wrong with you?"

"Hmm, I don't know Maribel! You're the oldest! Look, I'm Maribel! I think I'm so cool cause I'm in second grade and I'm a whole hand plus two fingers! Oh, and I still suck my thumb!" Rose began to parade around the kitchen, imitating her sister. Maribel was absolutely red with anger. She then stood on top of her chair and began to imitate Rose.

"I'm Rose! And I still need to go sleep with Mommy and Daddy when it storms! AND I STILL WET THE BED!"

"Take that back!"

"Make me!"

Maribel made a face at Rose before she picked up a bowl of sugar and hurled it towards Rose. A cloud of green dust landed on Rose, making her hair tinted with the sticky substance

"You!"

"What are you going to do Rose? You're too short to reach me up here!"

"Oh yeah!" Rose crawled onto another chair and pointed the tube of frosting at Maribel; Maribel did the same and aimed at Rose's face. Just as Rose was about to retaliate, Tony came in through the back door.

"Hey girls! I got something for…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"She did it!" Maribel and Rose pointed at each other as Tony looked at the frosting covered, sugar coated kitchen. Tony slumped into a chair, only to discover then that it was covered in frosting.

"Girls, what happened to being good around Christmas?"Maribel got down from her chair and placed a hand on Tony's arm.

"Daddy we are being good; Rose and I made the kitchen pretty." The girls walked out of the kitchen and left Tony alone at the table. When he heard footsteps, he knew what was coming.

"Hi, you're home early; I…what happened in here?" Maria looked at the table that was drenched in frosting. Tony got up from the table and smiled at Maria.

"Maribel and Rose happened." When he turned around, Maria couldn't help but giggle at the frosting smeared across his backside.


	3. A Tree Only A Child Could Love

Hello Everyone! So, this fabulous chapter was written yet again by the awesome childatheart94! Let's all give her a round of applause! Yeah! K, on with the story!

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"Daddy! Let's get this one!"

"Rose, that tree is too big."

"Okay. That one!"

"That tree is even bigger Rose. Come on." Rose sighed and continued down the line of trees, running ahead to catch up with Maribel. Tony just smiled before he turned to Maria.

"Just think, in three more years he'll be running around too." Tony motioned to Gabriel, who was bundled in so many layers of clothing he couldn't bend his little arms. Maria looked around and saw Maribel and Rose were nowhere around.

"Where are the girls?"

"Hard to tell."

"Tony!" Tony gave Maria a smile before he slid an arm around her.

"What? I didn't know I was supposed to be watching them." As they continued down the rows of trees, Maria leaned into Tony; the cold weather still didn't sit well with her. Tony smiled at her as they round the corner.

"Mommy! Daddy! How about this tree?"

"Maribel that tree is too big."

"Are all the trees too big?"Tony bent down to Maribel and smiled at her.

"No, just the trees you and your sister pick out. Speaking of Rose, where is she?"

"I don't know." Maribel paused, and then smiled back at Tony.

"Do we have to look for her?"

"I heard that!" Rose said as she appeared from behind a tree. She ran to Maria and grabbed her by the hand.

"Mommy! Come here!" Rose pulled Maria through a row of trees before she stopped in front of a tree.

"Rose…the tree is a little small."

"But I'm small too. Daddy, you'll get this tree, won't you?" Rose looked pleadingly up at her father as she pointed to the lopsided tree.

"Rose it's crooked; and it's short. Why don't we get this tree?" Tony asked as he motioned to another tree, hoping to win Rose over.

"No Daddy! This tree!"

"Rose, don't make a scene; we're not getting that tree." As Tony bent down to pick Rose up, she backed away from his arms.

"But Daddy! It's lonely!"

"Oh, Herb isn't that precious?" Tony looked up and saw an elderly couple claiming a tree behind them. The woman was smiling at her husband as she motioned towards Rose.

"It just warms my heart to see a father making his children happy during the holidays!" Tony definitely couldn't deny Rose the tree now; he looked at Maria, who just shrugged.

"Okay…I guess we found our tree." Rose let out a high-pitched squeal as she began to dance around the spindly tree. Maribel, who had been watching the whole scene, tugged on the sleeve of Maria's coat.

"Mommy that tree is really ugly." Maria put an arm around Maribel and just smiled.

"I know; but someone had to take that tree. "While Tony paid for the tree, Maria took the girls to see Santa's reindeer. As Rose fed a handful of reindeer food (or oatmeal and glitter) to one of the reindeer, Maribel pointed to Maria.

"Mommy I think Gabriel is hungry."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he just ate the reindeer food you had in your hand." Maria looked down at her free hand and saw it was now empty. She then looked at Gabriel, and the bits of glitter around his mouth.

"Girls, I think it's time to go."

"But I'm having fun!"

"Because Maribel , it's…"

"Mommy! I'm cold and the reindeer bit me and I can't feel my toes and I'm hungry and I need to go potty!" Rose yelled very loudly as she clung to Maria's coat. Maribel rolled her eyes, believing she was way too old to be whining so much.

"Rose, we're leaving right now, come on." As Rose trailed behind Maria she gave Maribel a smile.

"And that's how you get your way!"

"Nu-uh! Mommy wants to leave because Gabriel ate glitter. You're just a dumb; and annoying!" Maribel pulled Rose's hat down over her eyes, making her find her own way back to the car. When Maribel located her parents, she smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Maribel, where's Rose?" Tony asked as he tied the tree to the car.

"Who's Rose?" Maribel shrugged and jumped in the car. A few minutes later, Rose came stumbling over a small hill, her arms stretched open to feel around. Tony just rolled his eyes and picked Rose up to move things along quicker.

"Oh Daddy! I thought you were gonna forget me here!"

"Rose, now how could we ever forget you?"After Rose crawled into the backseat, Tony gave the tree one last tug.

"Tony, are you sure that's going to stay on?"

"It'll be fine Maria; not like losing this tree would be a bad thing," Tony added quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You will get a sen-da-mendal feeling, when you hear! Voices singing lets be jolly, DECK THE HALLS WITH BOWLS OF HOLLY!"

"Rose be quiet! You're making Gabriel cry!"

"No I'm not! That's you! BECAUSE YOU'RE YELLING!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TOO!" Tony and Maria exchanged looks; they'd given up all attempts of having quiet car rides the day both girls were able to talk.

"I'd though they'd be quieter, with Christmas coming up in a few weeks."

"Tony, it would take a…"

"Christmas miracle?" Maria smiled at Tony before she answered.

"Yes. A Christmas miracle for them to be quiet."

"Yeah; and it have to be one big miracle." As Tony turned the corner, the car ran over something and then made a funny noise.

"Daddy you hit an animal!"

"I didn't hit anything Maribel. This car is just really old; it's going to make noise."

"Tony."

"Not now Maria. Can you get the flashlight out of the glove box?"

"But I really think you should…"

"I know, Maria. It's cold, we're along the road, it's not safe. But we can't just sit here when our…"

"Daddy! Our tree is on the road! Oh! A really big truck is coming now! It's closer!" Rose exclaimed as she pressed her face against the window.

"And closer and close.."Tony had unbuckled his seat belt and ran out of the car before Rose could even finish. As the girls watched their father run along the road and occasionally get beeped at, they tried not to laugh.

"Now, girls, when he comes back…don't…don't laugh." It was no use; even Maria found it hard not to laugh. When Tony had saved the tree from its near death experience, he slowly started the car. The girls put their mitten-clad hands against their mouths to silence their laughter.

"I told you the tree…"

"Maria it never happened."

"Okay. But I was right about the tree."

"Maria! It never happened." And at that, the family enjoyed the first completely quiet car ride that they had had in years.


	4. You'll Never Find My Christmas

5 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! I know we're all excited. A few things here. Once again, the amazing childatheart94 wrote this awesome chapter! Yay! Also, Tony's mother is introduced in this chapter! Let's see how that plays out.

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"Rose pass the orange juice."  
Rose looked up from her bowl of oatmeal for a brief moment, then continued eating.  
"Hey! Didn't you hear me? Give me the orange juice!" When Rose didn't respond, Maribel began tearing the crust off her toast and hurling it at her sister. Tony looked up from his own breakfast and turned his to Maribel.  
"Maribel, stop doing that."  
"But she won't answer me!"  
Rose took a sip of milk and then turned to Maribel.  
"If you would say 'Please pass me the orange juice, then I'd give it to you."  
"Fine! Rose, may I please have the orange juice."  
"Yes you may. Thank you for asking."  
As the girls quietly continued eating, Tony turned his attention to Maria, who was trying to get Gabriel to eat.  
"Hey Maria, did my mom call earlier this week?"  
"Tony, I don't remember. So many things go on in this house from week to week; why do you ask?"  
"Because, she hasn't called at all this week; she didn't even bother me at work. It's odd."  
"Maybe she finally…oh wait, she called…Tuesday afternoon. It was about an hour after the girls got home from school."  
"What did she say?"  
"I don't remember; something about how we don't visit her enough and then she said that she mailed us something. But I guess it hasn't come yet."  
"Yes it has," Rose added. Maribel kicked her from under the table, prompting Rose to change her mind. "I, I mean, no. Nothing came in the mail from Grandma this week."  
Rose and Maribel gave Tony wide and very fake smiles.  
"Okay girls, which one of you hid what Grandma sent us?"  
Maribel sighed and got up from the table. She opened up one of the low lying cabinet doors, and removed a large box. When she sat it on the table, Tony lifted the lid that had already been opened.  
"I'm sorry we hid it! It's just…"  
Tony's mouth dropped open when he saw what was inside: matching (and monogrammed) Christmas sweaters. Maria had to try very hard to not burst out laughing.  
"That's it! My mother has lost it!"  
"Oh Tony, come on! They're not that bad!"  
Tony pulled one of the sweaters out of the box; he thought they looked worse in the light.  
"Maria, they're matching sweaters with little reindeer on them!"  
"Don't forget about our names on them Daddy!" Rose so politely added.  
"Maria, I'm not wearing that!"  
As Maria fed a spoonful of oatmeal to Gabriel, she looked at Tony.  
"Just like you wouldn't wear that sweater I picked out for you."  
"It sailboats sewn onto Maria! But this worse!"  
"It's one holiday; humor her."  
"Oh, so your saying if you're mother made us matching sweaters, you wouldn't wear them?"  
"Tony, my mother would never do that."  
"How do you know?"  
"Because. My mother can't knit."  
Tony slammed his head into the kitchen table. When he heard a bell ringing, he sighed.  
"Now I'm hearing bells."  
"It's the doorbell. I wonder who it could be."  
Maria got up from the kitchen table and headed for the front door. When she opened it up, she was greeted by an unsuspecting visitor.  
"Maria!"  
"Oh, Martha. What a…surprise."  
"Now, I know that Christmas is a few weeks off. But after our little conversation the other day, I got to thinking. I could be visiting you more often! Now, where's my little boy?"  
After closing the door, Maria leaned up against the wall and crossed herself, knowing she would need all the help that was available.  
"And that girls, is why you never…"  
"My baby!"  
Tony's mother rushed to him as if he'd been away for years. Tony awkwardly returned the suffocating hug.  
"Mom…wha…what are here?"  
"Well I just couldn't stand being alone the whole Christmas season! Don't you think you're going to eat that toast Maribel! It fell on the floor. Do you want to get botulism?"  
"What's bodguism?"  
"It is a disease you get from dirty food. And you can die from it."  
"AAAAHHHHHH!"  
Maribel tore out of the kitchen and crashed into Maria on her way back to the kitchen. When Tony's mother finally released him, Tony had had enough time to think of what to say.  
"Mom, this is…such a surprise."  
"I'd thought you'd say that." Martha looked around the kitchen and then gave Maria a disapproving look.  
"Maria, can't Gabriel walk yet?"  
"Well, he kind of just pulls himself across the floor. But he's getting there."  
"Walking or not, he is still moving around; you should be baby proofing things. And you shouldn't leave sharp utensils that close to his high chair," Martha pointed out. She quickly snatched up the fork laying in front of Gabriel. Tony just sarcastically rolled his eyes.  
"Yeah Maria; we don't want our eight month old to get shocked because we gave him a fork and he shoved it into the outlet."  
"Tony, you shouldn't be laughing about these kinds of things. Do you know that most children between the ages of three and seven die because of household accidents?"  
Rose swallowed hard, slowly sat her spoon down, and gingerly walked to the stairs.  
"Querida, what are you doing?"  
"I don't wanna die because of household accidents Mommy!"  
"See, Rose got the idea."  
Maria sighed and continued trying to get Gabriel to eat. After a pause of awkward silence, Martha spoke up again and made things more awkward. She placed a concerned hand on Maria's hand and gazed into her eyes.  
"Maria, is the reason you only have three children because Tony is still afraid of girls? You probably had to practically force him into it, didn't you?"  
Tony sat his plate in the sink and looked at Maria, who was trying not to laugh.  
"I'm going to shovel snow Maria."  
"Tony! Come back here! I'm sorry I didn't explain things to you better when you were younger! I just didn't want to scare you! You're my baby!" Martha called as she chased Tony up the stairs. Maria shook her head and turned to Gabriel.  
"I promise you mi amor pequeño, I won't ever be like that."  
Gabriel smiled at Maria before he picked up a handful of cold oatmeal and threw it at her. She sighed before she lifted him out of his high chair.  
"Oh, I sure hope that's your way of saying I love you."

Later that day, Martha thought it would be a wonderful idea to get a family picture taken…and of course they had to wear the sweaters. When the family finally reached the photography studio, Tony was on edge. For the whole hour long car ride to studio, Tony had to listen to his mother telling Maria the horrors of car accidents and how babies can die easily in them without the proper safety seat, and the girls singing a very off-key rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". When he stopped the car, he let out a long sigh.  
As soon as they stepped inside, the girls ran to the big mirror and began making funny faces into it.  
"Ho, ho, ho! Are we here for a picture?" A man who resembled an overgrown kid came out from the back of the studio. On his head was a Santa hat.  
"Yeah. Can we make this as quick as possible?" Tony asked, somewhat ashamed to admit he was with the large (and colorful) group of people.  
The photographer looked around at the people who had come in with the man: two little girls who were fighting in front of the mirror, a younger woman holding a baby that was screaming, and an older woman who appeared to be the man's mother. The typical happy family here for their Christmas picture.  
"I understand. Now if you'll just round every one up, I can set up the camera and get this picture taken."  
Tony gave the photographer a smile before turning to his family.  
"Okay, we're going to get our picture taken, so try to look like we love each other." Maria gave Tony a look as she handed Gabriel off to him. Maria walked over to the girls.  
"Girls, are you ready to get your picture taken?"  
"But Mommy," Maribel whined, "I don't like my sweater!"  
"Me neither!"  
"Girls, I promise that after today, you never have to wear them again."  
The girls looked up at Maria and slowly took off their coats.  
As Rose laid hers on a chair, she looked at her mother.  
"Mommy, aren't you gonna to take your coat off?"  
"Of course," Maria said as she reluctantly removed her coat. The three of them made their way to the camera; and when the photographer saw what his clients were clad in, he had to practically stop his breathing so he wouldn't start laughing. Tony rolled his eyes at Maria. Martha was standing behind the photographer, beaming at her work.  
"Okay everybody, say 'sugar cookies!'"  
As camera flashed, Gabriel turned his head and spit up all over the arm of Tony's sweater.  
"EWWWW! Mommy! Gabriel barfed on Daddy's sweater!" Maribel shouted.  
"That's so yucky!" Rose interjected.  
By now, the girls were yelling, Gabriel had been given back to Maria, and Tony was being comforted by his own mommy. All the while, the photographer just sat back; he was used to this by now.


	5. Marshmallow World

Hello everyone! So, just a few things. One, I acually wrote this chapter, surprising isnt it? Two, this chapter was largely inspire by "A Christmas Story" because who doesn't love that movie?_

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RRRRRING!

Tony shot up out of bed. After his eyes adjusted to the light, he glanced at the clock.

5:30. It read.

_RRRRRING!_

"Tony," Maria mumbled half-asleep, "get the phone."

_RRRRRING!_

Tony tiredly reached over to his bedside table and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He said annoyed that someone had actually called him at 5:30 in the morning.

"Hello sir!" a woman who sounded like she had drank one two many cups of coffee said. "I'm calling on behalf of Washington Elemantary. School is cancelled for today because of excessive amounts of snow. Thank you very much and have a wonderful day!."

"Mmmhmm." Tony mumbled as he set the phone down and laid back down.

"Who was it?" Maria asked.

"The girl's school. It's a snow day."

"Oh, this should be fun." Maria said.

"Mmmhmm." Tony sighed, barely even listening.

"Daddy we have to hurry or else we're gonna be late for school!" Maribel rushed.

"Yeah, Mrs. Smith said we were gonna make macaroni necklaces with glitter today! I can't miss that!" Rose said.

"Nope, it's a snow day." Tony sat down and sipped his morning coffee.

Maribel and Rose froze.

"See! I told you it would work if your wore your jammies inside out and backwards!" Maribel cried.

"Is that what that was for? I just thought you forgot how your pajamas were supposed to go." Maria said.

"Oh now isn't that sweet? Tony used to do the exact same thing when he was little. I remember he used to get so excited when it was supposed to snow. He would wear his pajamas backwards and everything. But, when it didn't snow, he would just cry and cry and cry. And, I would feel so bad for my little baby that I told him he didn't have to go to school anyways." Tony's mother smiled.

Tony blushed beet red and stared into his cup of coffee.

"See mommy, it's not dumb! Daddy did it too!" Maribel protested.

"Girls, why don't you go get your snow clothes on so you can help me shovel the driveway." Tony quickly cut in.

"Okay!" Rose and Maribel jumped up.

"Here girls, let me come help you." Tony's mother followed the girls upstairs.

"Their snow clothes are in the closet!" Maria called. She turned sheepishly toward Tony. "Pajamas inside out?"

"It worked! Well, most of the time." Tony blushed even deeper. "I'm going outside. Are you going to help me?"

"Are you kidding? It's freezing out there! Have fun, _mi amor_." Maria smiled.

"Daddy!" Rose waddled outside clad in what must have been at least a pound of snow clothes. Maribel, who wore just about the same thing, followed close behind.

"Mom, why?" Tony called to his mother who was standing in the doorway.

"Better safe than sorry!" she called back before closing the door.

"Daddy, I cant move my arms. Is that a problem?" Maribel asked as she tried very hard to life her arm.

"Hopefully it wont be." Tony sighed.

"Hey look, yellow snow!" Rose cried happily.

"No! Don't eat it! The yellow snow is bad for you!" Maribel said, happy she had yet again proved herself smarter than her sister.

"What do you want us to do, daddy?" Rose asked.

"Well, why don't you too wipe off the snow on the car?"

"Okay!" Rose and Maribel said.

Tony turned away to shovel the frozen sidewalk. It had snowed a good foot last night much to Tony's dismay. Sure, snow was fun when he was younger, and he had to admit that it made everything looked real nice, but nowadays, it was mostly just a hassle.

"Maribel, what are you doing?" Tony turned around to find his daughter wiping snow from the car with her face.

"I still can't move my arms! How else am I supposed to get the snow off the car?" Maribel whined.

Tony couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Alright then. Wait, where's Rose?"

Maribel looked around before turning to Tony and shrugging her shoulders.

"I dunno."

"Rose?" Tony called. "Rose where are you?"

"Rose!" Maribel joined in.

"Rose!"

"Rose! I promise never to kill your dust bunnies again if you come out." Maribel said.

"Okay, then. Wait, do you hear that?" Tony paused.

Maribel paused too and looked up at her father.

"Yeah, I do!" Maribel did infact hear the muffled screaming sound coming from behind her grandmother's car.

"Rose!" Tony called running in the direction of the scream. He found Rose crouched behind his mother's car, her tounge sticking to the metal door-handle.

"Rose, how did you-?why did you-?" Tony stammered. "Never mind. Maribel, go get your mother please, and tell her to bring some warm water."

"On it!" Maribel shuffled as fast as she could to the house.

"Ank oo addy." Rose mumbled.

"You're welcome."


	6. All That I Want

Hello! Okay, so once again childatheart94 wrote this chapter! Yay! And that's about it!

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On the last Saturday before Christmas, some last minute shopping was in order. Luckily, Tony's mother had decided to stay home; she said the roads were too dangerous to be driving on and you'd have to be crazy to go out on them; but that of course made Tony all the more willing to go out.  
"Finally, we got away from her."  
"Tony she means well."  
"Yeah that's it."  
"Mommy how much longer until we get there?"  
"Not much longer; are you excited to see Santa?"  
"Yes!" Maribel and Rose yelled together; at least there was one thing they could agree on. When Tony came to a stop at a red light, Maribel looked at him.  
"Daddy! Come on, we have to go see Santa! NOW!"  
"Maribel I can't run a red light. And Santa will still be there, don't worry."  
"But Daddy, it's the week before Christmas! Santa needs to get home! The North Pole is a very, very, very long way from here!"  
Tony looked at Maria and smiled. When he pulled into the mall parking lot, Rose beat her tiny fists against the driver's seat.  
"Daddy! Hurry up!"  
"Rose your father has to let the people cross first."  
Rose looked out her window and saw an elderly lady moving quite slowly across the icy parking lot. In an effort to make her move faster, Rose wound down her window and called to her.  
"Hey lady! Can ya move a little faster?"  
"Rose! That is not polite! And get your head back in the car!"  
When Tony finally parked, he smiled at Maria.  
"Have fun."  
"I will; have fun with the kids."  
Maria returned the smile before getting out of the car.

"And the time I spilled paint on the floor, does that count?"  
"I don't think so Rose."  
"How about when I pushed yucky Peter Wilkinson at recess?"  
"Maribel I think you'll be fine; you'll both be fine. You're…pretty good kids," Tony said, laughing on the inside. When the girls turned their talk to what they would ask Santa for, Tony sensed that he was being watched. He adverted his eyes down, and saw a scrawny, gap-toothed, redheaded boy staring at him.  
"Hi."  
"You gotta big head, mither!"  
Tony ignored the boy, and just looked forward. After a few minutes of silence, the boy tried again.  
"Didn't you hear me, mither? You gotta big head!"  
With his knowledge acquired from his days as a Jet, Tony ignored the boy once again and played it cool.  
"Ith like ginormith!"  
That was it. Tony looked down at the kid, but was quieted by Rose.  
"Daddy, Santa's elves make you leave if you're mean to other kids!" Rose informed her father.  
"Okay, who's next?"  
As the girls stepped, or more like galloped, forward, the boy stuck his tongue out at Tony. Maribel and Rose tried to out smile each other as they seated themselves on Santa's lap.  
"Well, who do we have here?"  
"Rose."  
"Maribel."  
"Rose and Maribel, such a pretty names; have you two been good this year?"  
"Yes I have." Rose smiled again as Maribel rolled her eyes. Rose played into her "cuteness" way too much; Maribel couldn't even see this supposed "cuteness" Rose possessed, so she wasn't that worried about Rose sucking up.  
"What about you Maribel, have you been good?"  
"I've been super good."  
Rose shot her sister a look. Immediately, Rose began thinking back through the year to all the times Maribel picked on her. No way Maribel was going to slid past Santa for another year.  
"And what do the two of you want for Christmas?"  
Rose put a finger to her mouth for a moment before speaking.  
"I want puppy! And for my sister to stop making scary noises at night when I'm trying to sleep!" Rose gave Santa one of her "cute" smiles again as Maribel looked at her in shock. The same look came across Tony's face, only he was hoping the girls would be finished before one of their arguments broke out.  
"And Maribel, how about you?"  
"I want Rose to stop cutting open all my stuffed animals! Or a new a doll."  
Santa gave the girls questionable looks and gave Tony a sympathetic look. He then reached into a basket and took out two candy canes.  
"Well I'll see what I can do. These are for you two; and remember it isn't Christmas yet, so I'm still watching!"  
Maribel and Rose smiled at Santa and returned to Tony's side.  
"Okay girls, let's go look for Mommy's Christmas gift."  
"But Daddy! Gabriel didn't see Santa!"  
Tony looked at Gabriel, happily seated in his stroller. He was currently gnawing on one of Maribel's mittens.  
"Maribel, Gabriel might be a little afraid of Santa," Tony said as, ironically, a mother carried her screaming child away from Santa.  
"Aw, but Gabriel wants to see Santa! Look!" Maribel said as she took her soggy mitten away from her brother. Gabriel was indeed showing much enthusiasm towards where Santa was seated; or it could of been the sparkly ornaments on the tree behind Santa he was so enthused about.  
"Fine."  
Tony carefully handed Gabriel off to Santa; what a mistake that was. The minute the baby was out of his father's arms, he began to wail. And when he looked up at the strange man in the beard, he cried even louder. As other shoppers began to stop and point at the poor child and wonder (out loud) what kind of a parent does things like that, Tony knew that it was time to go.  
After a walk around the mall, Gabriel had calmed down. Now, Tony was trying to keep the attention of two children long enough so they could buy their mother a gift. Add trying to keep a baby occupied, and Tony was not a happy camper.  
"Girls, how about this for Mommy?" Tony asked, hoping they would agree.  
"No," Rose said as she tried on a hat. "Daddy look I'm pretty!"  
"Rose this isn't dress up time. Maribel do you think your mother would like this?"  
"I don't know. Go ask her yourself." Tony let out a long sigh as he moved on to another rack. Maribel and Rose followed slowly behind him, getting sidetracked by pretty much everything. When Tony bent down to take yet another piece of merchandise away from Gabriel, he looked at the girls, who were now poking mannequins to see if they were alive.  
"Girls, come on! We're meeting your mother in ten minutes; we need to find her a gift toady."  
Rose's eyes caught a hodgepodge of items that were marked "80% Off Before Christmas Sale" for good reason.  
"Lets get Mommy this!"  
Rose had picked up perhaps the ugliest ceramic tea pot in world: it was shaped like a mushroom and had little windows and a door painted on the front. Rose proudly handed her find to Tony. Even he wouldn't pick something like that out.  
"Rose are you sure?"  
"Uh-huh! Mommy will love it!"  
"I agree!" Maribel said happily. Tony gazed down at the tea pot, and headed for the check out counter.

"Girls when we get home, you're going to bed, okay?"  
"Why? Don't you and Daddy love us anymore?" Rose asked more dramatic then was necessary.  
"Rose, now you that it is not true."  
"It may not be true for me and Gabriel."  
"Maribel! You don't say things like that; apologize to your sister," Tony said as he looked in the rearview mirror. He knew all to well were this was headed.  
"Daddy Maribel is just mad 'cause I get to be the star in our play at Sunday school and Maribel is just a sheep!"  
"The only reason you have that part is because you're the only one in your class who can read good!"  
"Nu-uh! Even Gabriel has a better part than you! He's Jesus so the whole play is about him! Isn't that true Mommy?"  
Maria looked in the backseat at Gabriel. The thought of letting seven-year-olds carry her baby around scared her to death. When Mrs. Greene, the Sunday school teacher, first asked Maria about using Gabriel in the play, she said no. But then, she asked again, and again, and again until Maria finally agreed. Mrs. Greene told Maria every Sunday how glad she was to have a real baby.  
Mrs. Greene also reassured Maria that she would tell the children to be careful with Gabriel; but after sitting in on a few practices and seeing how the children carried the pretend baby Jesus around, Maria knew she had made a horrible mistake.  
"All three of you are important, and everyone is going to be their on Christmas Eve to see the play."  
Maribel stuck her tongue out at Rose before she looked at Maria.  
"Mommy, Rose told Santa she wants a puppy and that's not fair because when I wanted a puppy you said no."  
"Well I asked Santa for my puppy, so that doesn't count!"  
"Yes it does! Mommies and daddies talk to Santa so they can tell him if their kids have been good or not!"  
"Ha! Then Mommy and Daddy must of lied a lot about you! No way you've been super good!"  
"Like you've been as good as told Santa you've been! Lying gets you on the naughty list!"  
"So does being a mean big sister!"  
"I'm nice to Gabriel! Ha!"  
"He's a baby! You have to be nice to babies!"  
Just as Tony was about to pull off along the road and give the "I will turn this car around" speech, Gabriel let out a scream that silenced even the girls' arguing. Tony smiled as he turned to Maria.  
"Couldn't of said it better myself."


	7. T'was The Night Before Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

* * *

"Maribel! Come hurry up or we will be late!" Maria called.

"Oh mommy don't you love my costume? It's so pretty and sparkly!" Rose twirled in what was indeed a very sparkly star costume.

"You look gorgeous Rose dear. Now, be careful that you don't swallow any sparkles by accident!" Tony's mother said.

"What?" Rose asked in confusion.

"I don't wanna go!" Maribel stomped down the stairs.

"Oh Maribel come on. You wanted to be part of the Christmas pageant." Maria said .

"But I never wanted to play the lamb! All I do is crawl on my hands and knees and go _baaaaa_ the whole time!"

"You're just jealous because I have a bigger part than you! Even Gabriel has a bigger part than you!" Rose laughed.

Maria internally groaned once again at the thought of Gabriel playing baby Jesus.

"You meanie pants! I'm not going!" Maribel yelled.

"Don't be a bad sport Maribel! Everyone's counting on you. Now let's get going." Tony slipped on his coat and stepped outside.

"There you are girls! We were starting to worry you wouldn't show up!" a frazzled Mrs. Greene greeted Tony and Maria.

"Okay girls! Everyone else is backstage, you can go join them."

"Bye mommy! Bye daddy! I'll see you after my performance!" Rose dramatically threw her hair over her shoulder and skipped away.

"Hmph." Maribel crossed her arms and stomped away without a glance back.

"Bye girls." Tony waved.

"Alrighty! I'll take little Gabriel from you." Maria hesitantly handed a squirming Gabriel over to Mrs. Greene.

"Thank you! Say bye-bye, Gabriel." Mr. Greene waved Gabriel's hand back and forth before disappearing behind stage.

"_Aye dios mio._" Maria mumbled.

"He'll be fine." Tony led Maria back to the auditorium.

"Oh of course he will." Maria said sarcastically.

"Well that was horrible." Tony said as he drove back home.

"_I _think it went great daddy!" Maribel smiled from the backseat.

"That's because when the set came down, you were the only one who didn't get crushed!" A very upset Rose said.

"Well how was I didn't know that Gabriel was gonna crawl offstage and pull the rope!" Maribel turned to Gabriel to and stroked his head. "Thank you Gabriel!"

"Let's just forget about it, okay?" Tony said.

"But it's not fair!" Rose whined.

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No-"

"Girls, no arguing. Santa Clause is coming soon." Maria cut in.

"Right! I'm sorry Maribel!"

"No, I'm sorry Rose!"

"Well, I'm sorrier!"

"No, I'm sorrier!"

"No, I-"

"Girls." Tony said sternly.

"Sorry daddy."

"Daddy, only three and a half hours until Santa comes!" Rose said as she ran downstairs in her Christmas pajamas.

"Did you girls set out milk and cookies for Santa yet?" Maria asked.

"Rose, let's get the cookies we baked the other day!" Maribel pulled Rose toward the kitchen.

"Here, let me help you girls! Refrigerators can be dangerous!" Tony's mother followed Rose and Maribel into the kitchen.

At that moment, Gabriel yawned and stretched in Maria's arms.

"I'm going to go put Gabriel to bed." Maria said.

"I'll come with you." Tony followed Maria upstairs and into Gabriel's room.

Gabriel's eyes started to droop as Maria set him down in his crib.

"_Buenas noches _Gabriel. _Te-amo._" Maria bent down and gently kissed Gabriel's forehead.

"Good-night buddy. Merry almost Christmas." Tony said.

Tony and Maria were heading downstairs when a knock came at the door.

"Who is it!" Maribel screamed at the closed door.

"_Aye!_ Open the door Maribel it is freezing out here!"

"Anita!" Maria pulled open the door.

"_Feliz navidad_!" Anita shuffled through the door with Carlos close behind her.

"Carlos! There's only three hours until Santa comes!" Rose jumped up and down.

"Anita, I thought you wouldn't make it!" Maria said as he hugged Anita.

"And miss Christmas with all of you? Of course not!"

"It's so great to have you." Tony smiled.

"Daddy, there's only two hours and fifty-eight minutes until Santa comes." A very sleepy looking Rose tugged at her father's trousers.

"Why don't you kids go up to bed." Tony suggested to three very tired children.

"No daddy. We want to wait up for Santa." Maribel said.

"Okay, why don't I take you all upstairs and you can wait for Santa in your rooms?"

"Okay." Maribel, Rose and Carlos agreed.

Tony tucked the kids tightly into bed and turned off the lights. "Good-night everyone. When you wake up. It'll be Christmas."

"Daddy?" Rose said half-asleep.

"Yes Rose?" Tony whispered.

"If you see Santa, can you tell him I said hi?"

"Of course Rose, now go to sleep."

"Daddy?"

"Yes Rose?"

"Theres only two and a half hours until Santa Comes." Rose mumbled.

"Merry Christmas Rose."

"Merry Christmas Daddy. I love you." Rose quietly drifted off to sleep.


	8. Christmas Day

Hello Everyone! Well, this is the end of our little story here. Childatheart94 and I hope you enjoyed it! Have a merry Christmas everyone!

* * *

"Mommy! Daddy! It's CHRISTMAS!" Rose and Maribel hurled themselves onto Tony and Maria's bed.

"And it is also five-thirty in the morning." Maria mumbled.

"But Santa already came mommy! Come on!" Rose grabbed her mother's hand and yanked her out of bed and down the stairs. Tony and Maribel followed behind.

"Good morning." Tony said when he saw his mother and Anita and Carlos awake downstairs.

"Merry Christmas." Tony's mother said.

"Daddy! You have to go get Gabriel!" Maribel said excitedly.

"I don't wanna wake him up, girls."

"You don't have to! We woke him up for you! But we couldn't get him out of his crib because we were afraid you would be mad if we dropped him." Rose explained.

"Wha-? Alright then, I'll go get him."

"Rose! Carlos! Look! Santa ate all the cookies!" Maribel pointed at the empty plate they had set on the coffee table.

"Mommy? Do you think that Santa knows I'm here? Do you think he remembered my presents?" Carlos turned to Anita.

"Well, _mi hijo, _Santa Clause knows everything. I think he knows you're here."

"Oh good," Carlos sighed in relief "I was worried."

"Daddy? Can we open presents now _please?_" Maribel asked Tony who had set down a squirming Gabriel.

"Of course." Tony smiled.

"Let's go!" Rose screamed as they dove toward the Christmas tree.

"So, how did everyone sleep last night?" Anita asked as all the adults gathered on the couch.

"Oh I was waiting up for Santa last night!" Maria said sarcastically.

"Of course you were." Anita laughed.

"Aaaaaaaa!" Rose and Maribel screamed simultaneously as everyone else held their ears.

"IT'S A PUPPY! Mommy, daddy it's a puppy!" Maribel screamed as she cuddled with the small black dog rolling around the floor.

"Thank you Santa Clause!" Rose screamed.

Maria who's face was almost pained glanced at Tony who's smile was that of…well…a four-year old who had gotten a puppy for Christmas.

"What are you gonna name him girls?" Tony's mother asked.

"Glitter!" Rose screamed before Maribel could say anything.

"I like it!" Maribel agreed.

"Do you like it Glitter? Do you like you're name?" Rose asked Glitter who barked and wagged his tale in response.

"Carlos now what do you sat to Santa Clause?" Anita asked Carlos after watching Carlos unwrap a model airplane.

"Thank you Santa Clause!" Carlos screamed. "Thank you too, mommy."

"You're welcome _mi hijo."_ Anita hugged Carlos tightly

"Thank you mommy and daddy! Thank you Grandma!" Maribel and Rose said.

"You're welcome girls. Did you have a good Christmas?" Maria asked.

"Of course we did mommy! We got a puppy!" Rose jumped up and down happily.

"Speaking of Glitter, where is he?" Maribel glanced around for their new puppy who was nowhere to be found.

"Tony, if that puppy makes a mess in my house." Maria threatened. She didn't finish, but she didn't need to. Tony was already shaking.

"Glitter!" Maribel and Rose called.

"Glitter come here!" Carlos called.

"Mommy where's Gabriel?" Rose asked.

"_Aye dios mio."_ Maria sighed.

"Gabriel!" Anita called.

"Glitter! Gabriel! Come out come out wherever you are!" Maribel glanced behind the tree.

"Gabriel!" Tony called.

"I can't find him!" Maribel said.

"Tony!" Maria shot Tony a glance which only made him more nervous.

"Oh! Well, isn't that precious?" Tony's mother said from next to the fireplace.

Everyone turned around to see Gabriel and Glitter cuddled together fast asleep by the fire.

"Merry Christmas Gabriel." Maribel whispered not so quietly.

"Merry Christmas Everyone!" Rose whispered not so quietly.


End file.
